Remember Last Night?

1935's "Remember Last Night?" was James Whale's follow-up to "Bride of Frankenstein," adapted from a story called "Hangover Murders." The wonderful cast is led by Robert Young and Constance Cummings, playing Tony and Carlotta Milford, who spend their anniversary with friends on an elaborate drinking orgy that extends all across town. Morning finds them awakening in the home of Vic Huling (George Meeker), only to discover their host in his bed, not asleep but dead. Tony decides to call in his friend Danny Harrison (top billed Edward Arnold) to perform a quiet investigation without any police interference, since everyone involved are friends and no one can recall the events of last evening's debauchery. In his usual role as long-suffering retainer, Arthur Treacher gets to show his contempt for their wild drunkenness, stealing every scene with his priceless asides. Gustav von Seyffertitz ("Son of Frankenstein") provides an eerie sequence as a mesmerist who puts everyone into a hypnotic state to ferret out the killer, unsuccessfully. Frank Reicher plays the coroner, and E. E. Clive his photographer, begging for the corpse to be moved so he can get a clearer shot on the bed! For all Whale's comic swipes at the degradation of the 'idle rich,' his cast makes it difficult to actually dislike them; certainly both Robert Young and Constance Cummings can boast a chemistry that compares with William Powell and Myrna Loy. Young had debuted opposite Bela Lugosi in 1931's "The Black Camel," and later played Boris Karloff's son in "The Guilty Generation," while the exceptionally lovely Constance (forever making charming faces at her supportive husband) had played opposite Karloff in "The Criminal Code," "Behind the Mask," and "The Guilty Generation" (where she played Young's soon-to-be wife). Were it not for her dual roles opposite Harold Lloyd in 1932's "Movie Crazy" (she calls him 'trouble'), I would have to regard this film as her finest in Hollywood, which she would soon abandon for England, on the heels of her 1933 marriage to screenwriter Benn W. Levy, who not only contributed to this script but also two previous Whale features, "Waterloo Bridge" and "The Old Dark House." Interestingly, Levy's only credit as director, 1932's British "Lord Camber's Ladies," was also the only film that Alfred Hitchcock produced but did not direct.

Louis B. Mayer famously insulted Robert Young by saying he had no sex appeal, but when you watch his movies, it seems like the casting offices didn't take Mr. Mayer's criticisms to heart. Bob almost always had a romance in his movies, and he certainly kissed a lot of leading ladies! Take Remember Last Night: the first shot of the movie is him kissing Constance Cummings. They break and she smirks as she says, "Very good technique. Not at all like a husband." Bob grins and responds, "We aim to please." I hope Louis B. Mayer's silly little insult didn't hurt his feelings, since he continually proved him wrong.

The start of the movie shows how frivolous a bunch of rich party guests are. Robert Young bowls with champagne glasses as pins, Arthur Treacher's tuxedo shirt is used to keep score, and the incredibly drunken guests drive themselves from venue to venue so the fun will never end. There's an incredibly offensive sequence when all the guests dress up in blackface, but you can realize they're supposed to be rotten people.

They're also supposed to be stupid people, as they cluelessly bumble around the house the next morning with terrible hangovers. Constance asks, "Is that my foot?" and when Bob's robe gets wet, she tells him to change lest he get "hydrophobia." In the aftermath of the party, they discover one of their friends has been murdered. Detective Edward Arnold and his incompetent sidekick Edward Brophy are called out on the case, and everyone becomes a suspect, however rich, frivolous, and inept they seem.

This is a pretty entertaining movie, if you can realize it was made in 1935 and whatever jokes are cringeworthy were merely meant to show how silly the main characters were. If you're not in the mood for something like this, you can pop in another Robert Young movie, since he played a rich playboy in dozens of them.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. During the hypnosis scene, the spinning image will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

This odd item is sandwiched chronically between two of my favorites within their genres: It came right after my favorite horror movie, "Bride of Frankenstein" (to which its lead character alludes.) And it was right before my very favorite musical, Whale's heartbreaking "Show Boat." It has a great cast. Conusance Cummings, whom I saw on Broadway four decades later in a Tony-winning role in "Wings," is a delight. Robert Young is not the husband I'd see her with but he's fine. Edward Arnold, the friend who's called in to solve a murder or two, is one of my favorites. Jack La Rue is handsome and mysterious as a chauffeur and Arthur Treacher is very funny as the butler.

The movie captures Jazz Age rich people's lives better than almost any other I can think of. "The Wild Party" has it too. Young and Cummings drive a gorgeous Bugatti. They resemble the couple in "Topper" to some degree but they're more dissolute; the script pushes their charm on us less. It's all Champagne, furs, swimming pools, antiques, and lots of flirtation with danger.

"Remember Last Night?" is a movie relic from an era when Hollywood stars held a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. (in this case, MANY drinks...)

Director James Whale (best remembered for "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein") opens his film with the wildest alcohol-drenched party ever put on celluloid. The plot thickens the next morning when one of the partygoers is found dead..and no one can recall anything about the previous evening (hence the title of the movie!) Robert Young and Constance Cummings star as the upper-class ringleaders of the pickled partiers with Edward Arnold playing the frustrated detective trying to solve the case.

Poking fun at excessive drinking would never fly in today's politically correct world, but in 1935 James Whale pulled it off flawlessly!

An enjoyable stylized film directed by someone who really put his mark on his films (James Whale). There is even a satire on one of his films as Constance Cummings says to Robert Young, "I feel like the 'Bride Of Frankenstein' ". Edward Arnold was terrific as always. Robert Young never did a film where he wasn't good. Out of the 100 films he did he was always great. Young actors should study him and watch his films from the beginning of his career and watch his talents grow. Edward Brophy brought in the comedy relief and also never disappoints. Robert Armstrong as the 'Driver' has come down to be an underrated actor, was also great. Sally Eilers was also a great comic-dramatic actress. The other supporting actors including Reginald Denny, Arthur Treacher, Jack LaRue, Gregory Ratoff, Dewey Robinson, E.E. Clive were wonderful. We don't have these wonderful character actors today. They made each picture very special,including this one.